Street-sweeping vehicle.



Patented Aug. 24, 1909.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AUGUSTE VERSGHIIREN, F ANTWEj-BP, BELGIUM.

STREETsSWEEPING VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

,Serial No. 416,371.

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, AUeusTn Vnnsonn- BEN, a subject of the King of Belgium, and resident of 35 Rue Leopold de YVael, Antwerp, Belgium, have invented a certain new or Improved Street-Sweeping Vehicle, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to im arovements in street sweepers and is designec for use more particularly in connection with that class of sweepers wherein obliquely dis osed brushes are provided for collecting anc directing the sweepings toward the center of the sweeper and wherein a follower brush, disposed at right angles to the line of travel of the sweeper, is provided for engaging the .centrally disposed sweepings and directing them into a suitable receiver.

The present application is divided from my application filed February 1st, 190.6, Serial No. 299,058.

The invention has to do more particularly with improved devices for controlling the sweeping brushes both as regards their ads justment and rotation and the invention will be more fully described in connection with the accompanying drawings and will be more particularly pointed out and ascertained in and by the appended claims.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a rear view of one form of sweeper embodying the features of my invention, with the side brushes omitted. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3, is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a front elevation with the rear brush omitted.

Like numerals of reference designate similar parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

As shown the sweeper comprises a frame 1, supported by front and rear wheels by means of inter osed springs 44 and '3 respectively. A suita le seat 39 may be provided for the operator and brushes 5 and 22 are disposed below the frame 1 for gathering the sweepings from the road bed. The brushes 5 are rotary and are disposed with their axes oblique to the line of travel of the swee er so as to direct the sweepings toward the origitudina'l axis of the sweeper. The brush 22 is disposed at right angles to the line of travel of the sweeper and with res ect to its axis, and is also centrally disposer with respect to the longitudinal aXis of the sweeperjand at a point in the rear of the brushes 5 so that the centrally directed sweepings gathered by the us s 5will e tak n up by the brush 22 to be deposited in a suitable receiver or elevator, such for instance, as that described in my application hereinbefore identified.

The manner i which the brushes 5 are driven will now be described in detail.

The rear wheels are mounted upon an axle 2 which carries sprocket wheels '31 adapted to be belted or otherwise operatively connected with sprocket wheels 32 disposed somewhat in advance of the wheels 31 The sprocket wheels 32 are mounted upon short shafts 33 supported in depending hanger bearings 55. Said shafts 33 carry bevel gears 34 which mesh with bevel gears The gears 35 are mounted upon brush spindle 6 at the outer ends thereof on which s indles the brushes 5 are rigidly secured. The brush spindles 6 are in two parts and are connected by a universal joint 6. At their inner and outer ends the brush spindles -6 are journaled in bearing boxes 7 and said boxes are conveniently mounted guide ways to permit u; and down movement or adjust.-

mont of t a e brushes and as shown said guide ways are in the form of slotted depending brackets 8 and 8 secured to the frame 1, the bracket 8 serving for the outer ends of the spindles and the bracket 8 for the inner ends thereof.

In order to maintain driving connection between the brushes and the axle 2 in all adjustments of the former it is necessary to maintain a mesh engagement between the gears 34 and 35 and therefore the slots in the brackets 8 and 8 are curved and the curvatures of said slots are struck from the centers of the shafts '33, so that the centers thereof will always be a uniform distance from the centers of the spindles 6 The means whereby the brushes 5 are ad,- justed with respect to the road bed will now be described in detail.

An adjusting rod 12 is disposed in a rigidly mounted sleeve 13 and carries on its upper end a manually operable crank 21 located in a position to be accessible from the seat 39. A supporting block 11 has threaded engage.- ment with the lower end of the adjusting rod 12 and is connected with the inner ends of ivotally mounted levers 10 so that the block 11 will be prevented from rotating when the rod 12 is adjusted. The sleeve 13 forms a support for the crank 21. The levers 1.0 are pivoted at 14 to depending brackets Patented Aug. 2 4, '1 9-09 Original application filed February 1, 1906, Serial No. 299,058. Divided and this application filed February 17, 1908.

secured to the frame 1 and the outer ends of the levers 10 are connected with the boxes 7 by means of bifurcated links 9. It Wlll be readily seen from the foregoing that when the operator rotates the crank 21 in a direction to lower the block 11 the outer ends of the brush spindles 6 will be raised whereas when the crank 21 is rotated in an opposlte direction so as to raise the block 11 the outer ends of the brush spindles will be lowered. It is desirable to raise and lower the brushes horizontally and therefore means are provided for raising both ends of the spindles 6 in unison and in the embodiment shown the inner ends of the spindles 6 are connected with links 19 which latter are secured to a lever 17 pivoted at 18. Said lever 17 is connected at 15 to the block 11 and the arrangement is such that when the block 1 1 is lowered the inner ends of the spindles 6 will be raised and when the block 11 is raised the inner ends of the spindles 6 will be lowered in a manner similar to the manner in which the outer ends of the spindles 6 are raised and lowered.

The manner in which the rear brush 22 is sup orted, operated and adjusted will now be escribed in detail.

The rear brush 22 is mounted upon a brush spindle 25 which is rovided with an extension 38 at one end. The spindle 25 has bearings in arms 23 and 24 which are supported by the rear axle 2 as shown. The arm 23 is bifurcated and the outer fork is bent back, thereby providing three bearings for extension shaft 38; between the outer two bearings there is disposed a gear 37 which is rigidly secured to the extension 38. The gear 36, meshing with the gear 37, is mounted on the rear axle 2 and serves to impart rotary motion to the brush 22. In order that the brush 22 may be raised and lowered a rock shaft 27 is provided and is connected by links 26 with the arms 23 and 24. An arm 28 on the rock shaft is connected by a rod 29 and rock shaft 29 with a lever 30 by means of which an operator may rock the shaft 27 to obtain the required adjustment of the brush 22.

A casing 42, is provided for the brush 22, and said casing is desirably mounted upon the spindle 25. The lower wall of said casing may serve to convey the sweepings from the brush 22 to a suitable receiver or elevator such for instance as is shown in my application hereinbefore identified. Links 41 connected with the frame 1 are secured to the casing 42 so as to hold the delivery end thereof in prescribed relation with respect to the receiver of the sweepings.

It is desirable to throw the brushes 5 and 22 out of driving relation with the axle 2 when the sweeper is being moved from place to place and is not adjusted in a position to operate upon the road-bed. Clutches are provided which consist of outer and inner members 45 and 46 respectively, the outer members 45 being fixed to the sprocket wheels 31, and one of said outer members to the gear 36, and the inner members 46 being splined to the axle 2. Bifurcated levers 47 engage the clutch members 46 for the purpose of throwing them into and out of engagement with the clutch members 45. Levers 48 pivoted at 50 to the frame 1 are connected with the levers 47 and are provided on their ends with racks 51 adapted to be engaged by a pinion 52. The pinion 52 is connected with an operating member 54 located in a position accessible to the driver seat 39 whereby the clutches may be thrown into and out of. engagement to connect or disconnect the brushes from the driving means therefor.

It will be readily seen that when the sprocket wheels 31 are thrown out of driving connection with the axle 2 the brushes 5 will cease to rotate and when the gear 36 is thrown out of driving engagement with the axle 2 the brush 22 also ceases to rotate, therefore all three brushes will be thrown into and out of driving engagement by the operating member 54.

I claim 1. In a street sweeping apparatus the combination with a vehicle frame, of a plurality of brushes therefor, spindles for said brushes, brackets depending from said frame in which said spindles are slidably mounted, pivotally mounted levers connected with said spindles at their ends, a block connected with the free ends of said levers, a manually operable adjusting rod having threaded connection with said block, and a rigidly mounted sleeve supporting said rod.

2. In a street sweeping apparatus the combination with a vehicle frame, of a lurality of brushes therefor, spindles for said arushes, brackets depending from said frame in which said spindles are slidably mounted, pivotally mounted levers connected with said spindles at their ends, a block connected with the free ends of said levers, and a manu ally operable adjusting rod having threaded connection with said block.

3. In a street sweeping apparatus the combination with a vehicle frame, of a lurality of brushes therefor, spindles for said rushes, brackets depending'from said frame in which said spindles are slidably mounted, levers connected with said spindles, a blockconnected with said levers, and means for raising and lowering the block to adjust said brushes with respect to the street surface.

4. In a street sweeping apparatus the combination with a vehicle frame, of a air of brushes disposed obliquely to the iine of travel of said apparatus, a follower brush disposed at right angles to the line of travel of said vehicle, spindles for said brushes, an

axle for said vehicle, arms pivotally mounted on said axle and supporting said follower brush, means connected with said arms for raising and lowering said brush spindle with respect to the street surface, a gear mounted on said follower brush spindle, a driving gear mounted on said axle meshing with said follower brush spindle gear, sprockets mounted on said axle, sprockets hung from said frame in advance of said first mentioned sprockets, sprocket chains chained about said sprockets, clutches for connecting and disconnecting said driving gears and axle sprockets with and from said axle, pivotally mounted levers having inwardly converging ends provided with racks for operating said clutches, an operating member provided with a pinion engaging said racks whereby said levers may be operated, gears mounted on the outer ends of said obliquely arranged brush spindles, gears operated by said advance sprocket meshing with said spindle gears, brackets for the inner and outer ends of said obliquely raised spindles, levers connected with said inner and outer ends of said obliquely raised spindles, and means for operating said levers to raise and lower the inner and outer ends of said obliquely arranged brushes in unison.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two witnesses.

AUGUSTE VERSCHUREN Witnesses:

Low DoNHEn, G. DEHEnsY. 

